Child Safety

Below are some tips to keep your child safe. The following topics are listed with tips below for your convenience.

BIKE SAFETY

Top Bicycle Safety Rules

Always wear a properly fitted bicycle helmet to protect your head – every time you ride.

Use a bicycle that is the appropriate size for you.

Before you ride, make sure that you don’t have any loose clothing, drawstrings or shoelaces that can get caught up in your chain and cause you to fall or wreck.

Have an adult check the air in your tires and that the brakes are working before you ride.

Wear bright clothes so that others can see you on your bicycle.

Stay alert at all times. Pay attention and watch for cars, people and bicyclists around you.

Don’t bicycle at night.

Before you enter any street or intersection, check for traffic by looking left-right-left to make sure no cars or trucks are there.

Learn and follow the rules of the road.

Rules of the Road

Only ride in the road if your mom or dad says it is OK. Never ride in the road without their permission.

When riding in the road, always ride on the right hand side of the road. (same direction as traffic).

Ride predictably – ride in a straight line, don’t weave in and out of traffic.

When riding on a sidewalk – show respect for the people walking on the sidewalk. Ring your bell to let them know you are coming and always pass on the left.

Look for objects in your path that could cause you to fall off of your bicycle.

WHAT TO TEACH A CHILD IF HE GETS LOST

Would your child know what to do if he or she got separated from you in a crowded place? It is one of the most heart-pounding scary scenarios for parents. Properly prepare your child for this event and give yourself some piece of mind.

Make sure that your child knows your full name, your phone number and your address.

Have the child practice calling your phone.

Teach your child to ask for help safely.

Tell your child to look for a person in uniform (police, fireman, EMT). If they cannot find a person in uniform, then look for an adult with a child.

Tell your child to never go looking for you if they become separated. Tell them to stay right where they are so that you can come and find them.

Practice the “What Ifs.” Go over these tips periodically with your child, especially before heading out to a playground, park or other heavily populated area. Sometimes a simple question and answer session can keep these tips fresh in your child’s mind.

CHILD HOME SAFETY TIPS

SEE YOUR HOME AS YOUR CHILD SEES IT

The best way to start child proofing a home is to get down on your hands and knees for a tour. Strange as it may seem, even a home with almost nothing in it will seem dangerous from this perspective. An empty book case looks like a ladder and a table cloth looks like something to pull up on. Electrical sockets and electrical cords will suddenly take up much more of your vision, and small objects on the carpet will become much easier to see.

As you take your tour, think about how many places your child will end up in the course of the next three years. While some may believe that confining children to their rooms, or to a playpen, lessens the need for a child-safe house, the truth is that sooner or later your child will find his way to every corner of every room. The more remote the corner, the more likely it is they will be out of your sight when they find themselves there.

SMALL OBJECTS

One of the most common causes of child death is choking. Objects smaller than your child’s mouth must be kept, always, where they cannot be reached. You must make removing these objects from floors and tables an instinctive response until your child is over three years old. Begin this process when your child is still unable to crawl because it will take months to accomplish.

Brittle, breakable and chewable objects are also dangerous to your child because they can be broken into bits and swallowed. This can result in choking accidents as well as poisoning accidents.

CORDS AND WIRES

Another frequent cause of child death is strangulation. No visible cord or wire should be anywhere near your child until he is over four and is able to understand the danger of strangulation.

This means you may have to move table lamps and floor lamps, computers and appliances to new positions. Electrical cords must be completely unreachable. Things such as drapery cords and old-fashioned telephone coils must be shortened so they are 6 inches or less in length. Alternatively, they may be adjusted so they never come within 3 feet of the ground.

FALLING

Children are hurt when they fall and when objects fall on them. A sturdy child protective barrier should be at the top of any staircase. Bookcases and chest of drawers should be weighted or attached to the wall, so they cannot topple if climbed on. Tables with table cloths are dangerous because children pull things down on themselves. Corded appliances, such as irons and curling irons, can be particularly dangerous. Make sure to put them away when you are not using them.

FIRE, WATER AND ELECTRICITY

Thousands of children every year are burned by radiators and heaters, shocked or electrocuted by electrical appliances and drowned in water. In making your house child safe, take the time and effort to address these dangers.

Make sure electrical cords are hidden so children can’t bite them. Buy child-safe plugs to insert into electrical sockets you aren’t using. Make sure bathroom plugs are designed to short out or switch off if there’s a danger of electrocution.

Make sure all fire alarms are working. Ensure your child cannot touch the radiator, the electric heater or the hot grate of a central heating system. Make sure the fireplaces in your home are protected by child-proof grates even when not in use. Ashes can be quite toxic to a child.

Water, ranging from mop buckets and toilets to showers and baths, are always dangerous to small children. A child can drown in as little as an inch of water.

Make sure your children are protected from other fluids as well. Childproof locks on cabinets that contain cleaning supplies and medicines save thousands of lives every year.

NO HOME IS CHILD SAFE

No child under the age of three should be left unattended and free to wander the house for even as little as five minutes. No matter how careful you have been in baby proofing your home, your child will find the one thing you left undone.

However, by taking the precautions outlined in these tips, you give your child more freedom to move around your home and you make your job of monitoring them that much easier.